Best Buy vs. Verizon

[Tomdds]

Probably already been covered, so please go easy if this has been discussed. I recently talked to a Best Buy rep who said they'd match ANY online price for the Thunderbolt (thus easily beating the Verizon price), plus their replacement plan was better than Verizon's (giving you a new phone vs. a rebuild). They'd set the phone up, transfer, etc. all previous data on my existing phone, the same as Verizon, only with better overall service. Seemed very persuasive.

Anyone dealt with Best Buy for this or other phones? Good or bad experience? Thanks for any advice.....

 

[sean76]

Go to VZW...best buy is smoking mirrors, they're insurance plan sounds good, however when u come in with a problem your treated like the problem was your wrong doing, then they have to take your phone and trouble shoot, and that can sometimes take up to 2 weeks. Then and only then will they replace the phone if they can't fix it. With VZW you pick up the phone, explain the problem, and if It's unfixable over the phone you get a replacement over nighted to you. Stay away from Best Buy, they're best at telling lies to they're customers.

 

[mattdeasay]

IMO best buy has really gone down hill. Their customer service is pretty bad. Not to mention they sell repackaged/defective products. Every Christmas for the past 3 years I've gotten a defective product from them.

 

[ben7337]

Go to VZW...best buy is smoking mirrors, they're insurance plan sounds good, however when u come in with a problem your treated like the problem was your wrong doing, then they have to take your phone and trouble shoot, and that can sometimes take up to 2 weeks. Then and only then will they replace the phone if they can't fix it. With VZW you pick up the phone, explain the problem, and if It's unfixable over the phone you get a replacement over nighted to you. Stay away from Best Buy, they're best at telling lies to they're customers.

Actually verizon now does 5 day shipping free I think and 1 and 2 days shipping cost a decent bit, also if you go into a store now for warranty replacement they will go through that same drawn out process, no phones in store anymore from what I've read. It is a huge pain to get a faulty phone replaced now, it's a shame but it is how things are.

 

[nateap87]

i simply went in and told them that my phones just been randomly shutting off causing me to miss my alarm twice. i explained how random it was and they replaced said they'd over night me one (they were sold out)

 

[The DA]

i simply went in and told them that my phones just been randomly shutting off causing me to miss my alarm twice. i explained how random it was and they replaced said they'd over night me one (they were sold out)

They = Best Buy or Verizon?

 

[sean76]

Actually verizon now does 5 day shipping free I think and 1 and 2 days shipping cost a decent bit, also if you go into a store now for warranty replacement they will go through that same drawn out process, no phones in store anymore from what I've read. It is a huge pain to get a faulty phone replaced now, it's a shame but it is how things are.

Nope...Hardly ever had a problem with getting a replacment from VZW! And why would you ever go into a store for a warrenty replacement? All my years with them and i have never visited a store for anything like that. And it's not as hard as you think, yes maybe if your trying to get over on them, they are hip to that now. However, If you speak with a tech on the phone, and they cant resolve your problem, almost 100% of the time your getting a phone sent out to you! Max is 2 days to recieve it as well from Fed Ex.

 

[Tomdds]

So consensus is: Best Buy tells you one thing, but does another. VZN will replace the phone easier if you CALL for support as opposed to going into a store. That sound right? And as for price matching at BB....could be a substantial savings over VZN on the initial price of the phone. Has anyone found this to be true??

 

[DaytonaZ33]

IMO best buy has really gone down hill. Their customer service is pretty bad. Not to mention they sell repackaged/defective products. Every Christmas for the past 3 years I've gotten a defective product from them.

I'm not going to argue with the customer service part as each store has a different level of customer service and everyone is entitled to their own opinion but I had to log in to comment on this one.

No, we do not sell repackaged items unless explicitly marked open box, and to resell a cell phone as open box is literally impossible as our system marks every cell phone return as return to vendor (PRC).

So I will ask you nicely to not mislead people about Best Buy. You can express your opinion on our customer service all you want as that's subjective, but our return method can't be circumvented.

 

[DaytonaZ33]

Go to VZW...best buy is smoking mirrors, they're insurance plan sounds good, however when u come in with a problem your treated like the problem was your wrong doing, then they have to take your phone and trouble shoot, and that can sometimes take up to 2 weeks. Then and only then will they replace the phone if they can't fix it. With VZW you pick up the phone, explain the problem, and if It's unfixable over the phone you get a replacement over nighted to you. Stay away from Best Buy, they're best at telling lies to they're customers.

Our protection plan is this: anything happens to your phone other than loss or theft we will get you a refreshed phone in 3-5 business days with no deductible. We just recently transitioned to using a new company for our protection plan to allow for this quicker turn around time. Beats Verizon's insurance IMO.

 

[Tomdds]

Daytona,

Thanks for addressing this. I was lead to believe that the BB protection plan was MUCH better than VZN's. Can you explain what a 'refreshed' phone is? And if my Thunderbolt is ready for the trashcan, for whatever reason, do you replace it with a NEW phone, or 'reconditioned'?

Do I end up with the 'refreshed' phone while my TB is being repaired? And how does this compare with VZN's protection plan? I'm not in any way trying to put you on the spot, I'm just trying to find more info on both plans.

Thanks!

 

[DaytonaZ33]

Daytona,

Thanks for addressing this. I was lead to believe that the BB protection plan was MUCH better than VZN's. Can you explain what a 'refreshed' phone is? And if my Thunderbolt is ready for the trashcan, for whatever reason, do you replace it with a NEW phone, or 'reconditioned'?

Do I end up with the 'refreshed' phone while my TB is being repaired? And how does this compare with VZN's protection plan? I'm not in any way trying to put you on the spot, I'm just trying to find more info on both plans.

Thanks!

A refreshed phone is one that was returned within the customers 30 day trial period because they wanted something else (another plus, we give you 30 days vs 14 from Verizon.) We do not used refurbished product (damaged product that was repaired, which is what you'll get from Verizon.)

We can set you up with a loaner phone while the replacement is being shipped. If you need one, you put $150 down and you get that back when we get the loaner back from you. It will most likely be a basic phone.

We like our plan vs Verizon's because of us having no deductible. We also don't limit you to the two claims per year like Verizon's would. Also covers battery and charger replacement (by calling our 1-888-BEST-BUY number, as we don't keep batteries in store.)

 

[Tomdds]

So give me the bottom-line of VZN vs. BB. Is it true that you folks will price match? And service/protection program is better w/ BB, too? I'm asking for your best sales pitch here.....I need to compare 'apples-to-apples', so to speak.....

 

[mattdeasay]

No, we do not sell repackaged items unless explicitly marked open box, and to resell a cell phone as open box is literally impossible as our system marks every cell phone return as return to vendor (PRC).

So I will ask you nicely to not mislead people about Best Buy. You can express your opinion on our customer service all you want as that's subjective, but our return method can't be circumvented.

I understand it may be policy not to sell repackaged items unless stated otherwise. And I surely do not want to get into a pissing match with you. The last item I purchased was a "new" lens for my Nikon camera. When I opened the box, I found the receipt from the previous person who purchased the same lens. On top of that, the lens was noticeably scratched.

BB exchanged the product, which was great. I have had several other similar experiences. Now I have not purchased a cell phone from BB so I cannot comment about that. It sounds like the store you run/work at is of a much higher caliber than the ones I visit.

All I am doing is sharing my personal experiences. Surely I am entitled to do that.

 

[nateap87]

They = Best Buy or Verizon?

whoops! verizon. i would have actually tried going through best buy but it seems verizon moved my upgrade up 10 months earlier than it was supposed to and best buy's systems didn't recognize that. so i signed another one year with verizon. to be honest, i'm completely happy with verizon and their service. just wish they had a much more affordable unlimited calling plan...you know...like the two smaller companies of the main 4...and they seem to never be on top as far as the best android phones go

 

[nateap87]

A refreshed phone is one that was returned within the customers 30 day trial period because they wanted something else (another plus, we give you 30 days vs 14 from Verizon.) We do not used refurbished product (damaged product that was repaired, which is what you'll get from Verizon.)

We can set you up with a loaner phone while the replacement is being shipped. If you need one, you put $150 down and you get that back when we get the loaner back from you. It will most likely be a basic phone.

We like our plan vs Verizon's because of us having no deductible. We also don't limit you to the two claims per year like Verizon's would. Also covers battery and charger replacement (by calling our 1-888-BEST-BUY number, as we don't keep batteries in store.)

every replacement phone i've ever got from verizon was brand new. not refurbished. also, your protection plan sounds the same as verizons except if i were to go into the verizon store, they would have replaced it on the spot had they any in stock. your 30 days vs verizon's 14? that's the only good part about best buy imo.

 

[robrecht]

I have always gotten excellent service from Verizon whenever I've had a problem. Occasionally I have to escalate to a more knowledable tech or a more reasonable customer service rep but generally they demonstrate how highly they value their long term customers (12 years). I've received many loyalty or courtesy rebates or discounts, free or practically free phones. You pay for this kind of service but it's worth it to me. I've had good & bad experiences with Best Buy, mostly good but not on par with Verizon. Verizon has a totally different business model. They subsidize your purchase of a phone to get you under contract and they have to deliver good service to keep you long term. Best Buy is retail. Return customers are important but there's no long-term relationship based on contracts, service, and renewal.

 

[ben7337]

Nope...Hardly ever had a problem with getting a replacment from VZW! And why would you ever go into a store for a warrenty replacement? All my years with them and i have never visited a store for anything like that. And it's not as hard as you think, yes maybe if your trying to get over on them, they are hip to that now. However, If you speak with a tech on the phone, and they cant resolve your problem, almost 100% of the time your getting a phone sent out to you! Max is 2 days to recieve it as well from Fed Ex.

2 days is still a pretty long time to deal with having no phone if your phone is faulty in a way that makes it not work period, if you go into the store they should replace the phone on the spot, that's my opinion, you show them the flaw, they replace it, in and out easy.

Also this is the policy I was refering to which is brand new as of the start of this month, unless you did a warranty replacement this month you likely got the old faster free system.

Verizon Changes Certified Like-New Replacement Program, Prepares to Charge You for Device Blemishes? - Droid Life: A Droid Community Blog

 

[DaytonaZ33]

every replacement phone i've ever got from verizon was brand new. not refurbished. also, your protection plan sounds the same as verizons except if i were to go into the verizon store, they would have replaced it on the spot had they any in stock. your 30 days vs verizon's 14? that's the only good part about best buy imo.

I believe you are confusing manufacturers warranty replacement (no damage do the phone, just died) with accidental damage coverage. If not, you were either receiving refurbished phones and not realizing it or extremely lucky, because that is not standard operating procedure for replacing a damaged phone.

Also, no offense but how does $100+ for each approved claim vs no deductible sound the same? That's a huge difference.

 

[nateap87]

I believe you are confusing manufacturers warranty replacement (no damage do the phone, just died) with accidental damage coverage. If not, you were either receiving refurbished phones and not realizing it or extremely lucky, because that is not standard operating procedure for replacing a damaged phone.

Also, no offense but how does $100+ for each approved claim vs no deductible sound the same? That's a huge difference.

Interesting. I dropped my Droid and cracked the screen and they replaced it. No deductible. And if it was refurbished, it 100% didn't matter because it looked and ran like it was brand new.

 

[blownss06]

I have never bought from BB, always from VZ. I never get the extended warranty, only the manufacturers warranty. Now every time I have a problem that VZ cannt fix over the phone they send me a refurbished one. Down here in miami they stop giving out replacement phone at the stores. For the first year if its a manufacturers defect and not cosmetic, it free no deductible. After the year weather its manufacturers or cosmetic then they hit you with deductible. I am up for a renewal and when I talked to VZ the other day I told them if they would give me a price break on the tb, because wirefly had it for 179.00 and they told me to go buy it from them. Either way its still a sale for them, but if I can save $70 I buys from the other guy. If BB will price match wirefly I will buy from them and get it on the spot. Either way I don't think I will ever buy from VZ again because of their high prices.

 

[cigar3tte]

Will Best Buy price match Amazon or Wirefly's prices as well?

 

[nateap87]

i take everything back. just got my replacement in the mail. i would have thought it was new except right on it it said, "like new!" also, where the battery goes there were scratches (minor) and the power button is recessed and gives no click feel when pressed. this is BS. also, my apps keep downloading unsuccessfully. i'll be going into verizon tomorrow to throw both defective hand sets at them.

 

[beenr271]

I talked to a Best Buy rep in my area a few wks ago and they said they couldn't match the price I was getting from Verizon, so I went with Verizon. If your BB can do it, great, but I don't think it's something they all do. Apparently not, since mine couldn't/wouldn't..

 

[DaytonaZ33]

I talked to a Best Buy rep in my area a few wks ago and they said they couldn't match the price I was getting from Verizon, so I went with Verizon. If your BB can do it, great, but I don't think it's something they all do. Apparently not, since mine couldn't/wouldn't..

Correct. The price matching policy for Best Buy Mobile is a little strange. We fall under the general stores price match policy, but if you head on over to the website and read our price match policy, it excludes:

• Offers that include financing, bundling of items, free items, pricing errors and mail-in offers.

Where as the company considers cell phone service as an item that is bundled with the cell phone. So pretty much all of our items are excluded from the price match policy. However, we still try to price match if it will get us a sale and we can still make money on it, it's just up to the manager though. I can tell you that if you are already interested in our protection plan and Buy Back program, you may stand a little bit of a better chance and say you'll buy both if we price match.

As far as price matching websites goes, again all up to manager's discretion. Technically, we aren't supposed to match websites pricing on anything per our website:

"Simply bring in the ad of the local retail competitor"